ON FARM NATIONAL Finding Have your say onparasites At a cost to producers of around $715 million a year, parasites including the sweet production-impacting challenges for sheep enterprises.worms, flies and lice continue to be one of the most expensive and spot To gain a better understanding of howproducers control parasites, University ofThe survey is open until 9 April 2019. New England researchers are surveying surveygizmo.com/s3/4584571/ T he CashCow project, producers in an Australian Wool Benchmarking-Australian-Sheep- which ran for four Innovation-funded project to follow on Parasite-Control consecutive years from from research carried out in 2003 and 2011. Producers who prefer to complete 2008, found there was an The survey covers: a hard copy survey can request opportunity to improve • parasite control options one from the researchers: breeder performance in • how chemical resistance has changed Dr Alison Colvin northern Australia. • how parasite challenges are monitored E: alison.colvin@une.edu.au and managed. Professor Stephen Walkden-Brown Previous research has focused on disease, herd management The results will bolster tools like the E: swalkden@une.edu.au and genetics, but little is knownMLA-funded WormBoss, LiceBoss T: 02 6773 5152 about how different levels and FlyBoss. ■ of pasture utilisation impact breeder productivity. Goat industry ontarget The new MLA-funded ‘Sweet Spot’ project will address this The Australian goatmeat review has been completed by knowledge gap and find the industry is on track to GICA and MLA, concluding the sweet spot of pasture utilisation achieving key targets as it industry is making overwhelmingly to ensure long-term optimal looks to stabilise its supply base andgood progress,” John said. breeder performance in northern Australia. The $2 million four-yearcapture new market opportunities. “The plan identified several KPIs and project brings together pasture The findings are contained in a critical success factors to enable the and cattle scientists, and mid-term review of the Goatmeat andindustry to grow and prosper. modellers from across the north. Livestock Industry Strategic Plan 2020 . “A feasibility study into opportunities It will use existing breeder The five-year plan was developed byto encourage goatmeat consumption datasets to ask new questions, the Goat Industry Council of Australiain Australia has been completed and increasing the value of (GICA) and MLA. identified that value-adding could create previously funded research. GICA President John Falkenhagen more demand and potentiaygeerate “There’s an untapped gold said a number of key performance $13 million for the industry annually.” ■ mine of breeder production indicators have been achieved or are data from sites across northern on track to be delivered by 2020. The Goatmeat and Livestock Australia. By bringing together “We’re now halfway through the IndustryStrategic Plan 2020 is these existing datasets, we’ll plan’s timeframe and the mid-term available at mla.com.au. gain new insights into how to manage breeders to improve reproduction,” NT Department ofPrimary Industries and Resources’Testing the tools of the trade Dr Robyn Cowley said. Tools to make life easier for producers are a priority for Integrity The project aims to develop tools Systems Company (ISC) and they want to hear from producers to predct te impact of pasture interested in testing their practicality and use. utilisation on reproduction, so producers can optimise pasture The implementation of the ‘single sign-on’ functionality within myMLA – which use to maximise kilograms allows producers to access their National Livestock Identification System, Livestock turned off, while maintaining theProduction Assurance (LPA), Livestock Data Link and Meat Standards Australia resource base. accounts through one log-in – is an example of such a tool. The first phase of the project isAnother is a search engine called Find My Data which enables producers to quickly searching across the north for and securely identify where they have data in industry and integrity programs, suitable breeder datasets that including data in programs they do not currently have an account for. can be collated and modelled. ■ Improvements to the LPA eNVD are also underway, with the development of a mobile version in progress. ■ Dr Robyn Cowley T: 0419 829 493 If you’re interested in keeping up to date with Dr Kieren McCosker these tools, and providing ISC with feedback about T: 08 8973 9771 how they work in your farming operation, log on to: mla.com.au/iscproducts 11